Shadow Rose
by ZerosaBeebe
Summary: Gibby, out Ashley to some people, moves in with her best friend, Kayla and Kayla's brother Hollen ready to start her adult life. But when she said she wanted stories to tell her kids, she never meant anything close to almost dying at a dragon's hands. That only seemed to trigger a chain reaction of hair brushes with death.


This isnt my story! i am not this talented! the author of this amazing original peice is Ashley Gibbs. She has created this from her own imagination and this is the very first time it has been puublished on the internet! it is copywrited so dont get any ideas assholes! i just thought it should be read! yes i have gotten permission to upload it by the awesome author herself, and jo this isnt all of it is is only a small portion of it. ENIOY!

Kayla screamed, thundering towards me at full force with her arms opened wide. "GIBBY! Gibby Gibby Gibby Gibby!" I had just enough time to close the truck's door before she slammed into me. I stumbled back a few steps, laughing so hard that I couldn't breathe, blinking tears from my eyes. I wrapped my arms around my best friend's waist and lifted her off her feet. I was back! Fresh from my graduation I'd packed my things, rented a U-Haul, and haul-assed my way to Charlotte. Kayla had graduated from school the week before and moved into the three bedroom apartment—that she and I had chosen together—with her big brother, Hollen. I'd transferred from my job at Journeys in Raleigh to the one in the mall right around the corner from our new home. We'd always talks about living together and now it was finally happening! Kayla leaned back to look at me, her blue eyes wild with excitement, and pulled me into another bear hug. "Took you long enough!" The familiar voice brought a feeling of peace to the pit of my stomach. I rolled my eyes and patted her head like she was an overexcited, oversized puppy. "It was a three hour drive, dude," I said. "It wasn't that long." She stepped back, slapping me upside the head in the process. "Three hours too fuckin' long!" She snapped. "Hey!" Pouting, I rubbed my head. "Stop beating on poor Gibby." I peered over Kayla's shoulder to see the man who was standing behind her with the Western cowboy villain voice. It was Kayla's father—otherwise known as Pops in my book. He grinned, causing his eyes to crease at the edges in that adorable way that aging people's eyes do. His four silver lip rings glinted under the afternoon sunlight, their tips grazing in his graying beard. He took me in with clear sky blue eyes before pulling me into his arms and tickling my sides. I could hear Kayla's laughter over my own as I fought to break free of the tickle monster that was Pops. When he let me go I had to straighten my shirt and shook the hair out of my face, huffing as if I were offended. It would've worked if I didn't have a goofy grin on my face. "Gosh Pops I thought you were on my side!" "'S nothin' but love, little Gibbers," he chuckled. I felt my grin widen. "I know." "Okay let's get this started," someone grumbled. Behind Pops Kayla's brother, Hollen, was pulling a shirt over his head as he shuffled down the apartment building's front steps. His brown hair was like a whirlwind, stray wisps falling into his blue eyes and his glasses were slightly crooked. He'd grown it out since the last I'd seen him. I smirked, crossing my arms over my chest. "You sure you can handle this kind of heavy lifting, Holly Wolly?" I asked challengingly, nodding in the direction of the U-Haul. "I could carry you with my pinky if I wanted, little one," he replied, flexing his muscles. "Now pass the keys." I tossed him the keys, giving him a venomous glare that would put even Medusa out on the streets. "If I find a scratch on anything your ass is mine." "Yes your majesty," he drawled, bowing low to the ground. I stuck my tongue out at his back as he was opening the truck's door. "Just do your job and stop being such a bitch, Hollen!" Kayla ordered, grabbing my hand and yanking me towards the building while Hollen shouted bullshit obscenities that we knew he didn't mean. As we ran through the threshold of the tall, modern-looking building we giggled like Catholic school girls heading out for some dangerous fun. We climbed the stairs to the second highest level—which was the third floor—and ran down the hall, the sound of our Converses slapping on the concrete floors echoing all around us, to the fifth door on the right. We'd chosen the place because it was the biggest floor plan, closest to the city, and combining all three of our salaries would have each of us spending a little under four hundred for rent which left us enough to pay smaller bills and buy groceries. Ever since I'd first landed my job in Journeys in my junior year, I'd been saving up to have everything that we'd need. Which explained why the apartment was basically still empty. Kayla and I had to go to Ikea and pick out a couch and other homey things but that wasn't until my room was put together. Getting Hollen to agree to moving in with us had taken a solid month of trying to get him on board. After setting some ground rules—one of the being that we couldn't bring men over for one night stands, sadly—and a lot of begging on hands and knees, he'd said "To hell with it." What a bastard he was. "I've been up all night making brownies and waiting for you to get here," Kayla was saying as she unlocked our front door. "Ooh did you make one of your special batches?" I asked, waggling my eyebrows. She narrowed her eyes at me but I only grinned wider. Knowing that she couldn't resist my awesome charm, she rolled her eyes and heaved an over dramatic sigh. "You get someone high off brownies ONE time—on accident might I add—and you never live it down!" She fussed. "You were the one who decided to cook brownies at the same time you were—" she stopped me with a warning stare so I shrugged and headed into the kitchen behind her. She was right. Pops was always lurking in the shadows and if he heard that she sometimes did pot he'd go batshit crazy. I looked around the kitchen to occupy my mind as she went to the pantry for soda. The cabinetry was basic, made of cherry wood, and the counters were made out of blocks of marble. And it came with the other essentials like a refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, sink, and microwave of course. It was compact but I liked it. "How'd the drive go?" "Took me forever to get on the road since Mom was having a hard time letting me go," I said, scowling. "Oh and by the way she sends her love. She'll call later to chat with us." Kayla beamed, giving me an ear-splitting grin. Whenever I mentioned Mom that was always her response. "Aw my black Momma does love me!" I snickered and took off my shirt, throwing it on the counter. Thankfully I had on a tank top underneath it because I never wanted Pops seeing me in my bra. It would be the day that you saw this black girl blushing that's for sure. "You always call her your black Momma, dude. Weird." "You know I'm black at heart!" She crowed. "Unlike you, Oreo." "Hey! I can be black when I wanna, meanie!" "Pfft! Funny joke Gibbly!" I glared. She was kind of right. Kind of. Kayla and I weren't all that alike in some ways. For example: she was five foot seven feet tall with blue eyes, pale skin, and long blond hair that she usually kept dyed brown; all-the-while I was barely reaching five foot four feet tall with brown eyes, light brown skin, and multicolored hair that came down to the middle of my back. She already had a tattoo on her chest and four ear piercings; I had six ear piercings and a nose piercing. She had a bigger ass than I had but then again I had bigger lips. We were both a year and two days apart. A lot of the times when we walked the streets together, arm in arm, ready to conquer the world, we got odd stares. There were even times when we were mistaken as a couple. To me, she was like a long lost soul sister. We were alike in so many ways that it was always like "Why don't we have the same mom?" We might as well share a mom. Well that's just what we thought. She threw me a Sprite, a Coke in her hand. "You got the biggest bedroom like you wanted." After struggling to open the can for several seconds she snatched the can from me and opened it. I took it from her begrudgingly. It's not my fault that arthritis runs in my family. "Thanks. I'm guessing Hollen got the smallest room?" "Yep! I'm almost done putting up my pictures actually." "Christ Gibby!" Hollen and Pops came lugging a long wooden piece of my canopy bed through the front door on their shoulders. There were small beads of sweat already forming on their foreheads but they still looked at ease. Hollen was just being an ass—as usual. "You're trying to kill us!" "It's my job to make you miserable, don't you remember?" I called out as they made their way to my room. "I'll get you for this!" Then there was a lot of grunting as he and Pops worked on getting the post through my bedroom door. I grinned devilishly. Challenge Accepted. "Once we get your room situated we can get goin'," Kayla said, calling my attention back to her. "I found this hot new club downtown too." Her eyes flashed. Oh gosh, the delinquent had a plan. I smirked. "Think we'll find some fun tonight?" "Hells yeah!" She raised her hand for a high-five and I hopped up to give it a clap. "Hopefully tonight I won't get too drunk, though." I snorted. "Funny stuff man." When Kayla partied, she partied hard. I was always the designated driver since I wasn't much of a drinker. She punched my arm. "OW! I'm just saying! JEESH!" "I really hope you're not saying what I think your saying." I froze at the sound of Pops' voice. I hadn't noticed Kayla's wide, clearly warning stare until now. I turned with a forced grin on my face that clearly meant "busted", clasping my hands behind my back. Pops stood with his arms crossed over his chest, his salt-and-pepper hair was plastered to his forehead, falling into his eyes. Behind him, Hollen was trying his hardest to hide the "You're on your own" grin that was curling his lips but he was failing miserably. "Of course not, old man!" Kayla said, linking her arm with mine. "Gosh Pops we're only talking about going to buy some chocolate and ice cream for tonight." "Yeah, she wants to get her room straightened out before we have to go back to work." Which was true so technically not lying. "Definitely just talkin' an all-nighter, Pops!" After a few moments of looking between the both of us he grunted and headed out the door. Shaking his head, Hollen followed suit, muttering under his breath in disbelief. Kayla and I shared a devious grin before skipping after them to help with the little stuff.


End file.
